NFL Insider: Safe picks? No such thing

The newest players to the San Diego Chargers,(from left) D.J. Fluker, Manti Te'o and Keenan Allen. The three players were introduced to sports reporters at a press conference held at Chargers Park Saturday afternoon.
— Nelvin C. Cepeda

The newest players to the San Diego Chargers,(from left) D.J. Fluker, Manti Te'o and Keenan Allen. The three players were introduced to sports reporters at a press conference held at Chargers Park Saturday afternoon.
— Nelvin C. Cepeda

The Chargers' GM didn’t hesitate in replying Saturday night, after finishing his 19th NFL draft as either a scout or a club executive.

“There is no perfect player,” Telesco added. “There is no perfect player on the board. Never is. Not the first pick. Not the last pick. If there were safe picks, it’d be easy for a lot of people. But there aren’t.”

Safe is just a word to throw around. During Draft-a-palooza, I heard draftniks describe this pick or that pick as safe. Sorry, that's impossible. It's like the sport itself. Can't be safe. Can be made safer.

Take Telesco’s selections of D.J. Fluker, Manti Te’o and Keenan Allen with the 11th, 38th and 76th picks.

I liked each move, but even though San Diego will be sunny for all three, all three may not be sunny for San Diego.

Fluker, a right tackle, excelled within a college offense that played to his No. 1 strength, blocking for the run. The Chargers will probably ask him to ward off pass rushers, often. Wasn't so at Alabama. The 6-foot-4, 339-pounder is still learning the nuances of countering pass rushers.

Fluker weighed 400 pounds when he was in eighth grade. Were he to again approach that weight, he may see speed rushers whiz by him.

Te’o is an inside linebacker from Notre Dame. The Vikings, Bears and Ravens all had holes at inside linebacker, and passed on him.

The Vikings, who have five Notre Dame alums on their roster, didn’t select a true inside 'backer. Looking to replace Brian Urlacher, the Bears opted for Florida's Joe Bostic. He went 50th, which was 12 spots after Telesco moved up seven rungs to get Te’o.

Finding his linebacker, Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome selected Arthur Brown after trading up six spots to 56. The speedy 227-pounder from Kansas State will be counted on to replace Ray Lewis, a player Te’o rated one of his favorite linebackers, behind only Junior Seau.

Like the Chargers, the Ravens run a 3-4 defense, as did Notre Dame. Te’o could fit a 3-4 but appears better-suited to a 4-3 alignment, said former Redskins GM Charley Casserly of the NFL Network. Nor were Casserly’s concerns about Te’o limited to his poor showing against Alabama in the national title game. The talent man saw similar failures against large, powerful blockers in other games.

I’ve written about Allen’s knee and ankle injuries, his slow 40 time earlier this month, and the ESPN report, denied by Allen’s agent, that his drug test at the combine was red-flagged.

Cheer up. None of this to say that Fluker, Te’o or Allen will wash out. I'm not tossing them aside here.

Consider it a detailed a reminder that there’s no such thing as a safe pick -- even if the tackle has the longest arms in the draft and three national championship rings; even if the linebacker made 48 consecutive starts and boasts a 3.3 grade point average; even if the receiver is Cal’s all-time receptions leader and inspired Alabama’s Nick Saban to recruit him as a safety.

Nurture, Telesco said, is part of the riddle. When evaluating Fluker, Te'o, Allen and three others drafted this week, Telesco also took into account coach Mike McCoy's plans for the offense and defense. Telesco and McCoy were in the draft room together, and by Saturday night, McCoy looked like he'd taken the SAT, the ACT and the bar exam continuously for the three draft days.

“A lot of it depends on what environment (draftees) get into -- what scheme, what coaching,” Telesco said.